Cutting homosote

[bthoron]

Has anybody worked with homosote? its the fibrous gray paper product, either used for bulletin boards or sound proofing. I tried some and the top edges are all furry, (I really shouldn't be surprised, I know). Has anybody had success?

Ben

[tgm]

Ben,

What you see is what you get with Homosote. You're correct, you are machining dry, pressed paper pulp, that's it. The stuff is usually meant to be covered with fabric, cork or some other surface covering which also protects the edges. I have seen some lowball jobs where the stuff is mounted directly to the walls and it looks horrible.
It will cut with anything and a downcut spiral o flute will keep upper edge fraying to a minimum.

Good Luck,

Tom in PA

[joe]

Ben,

I wouldn't give up on Homosote. I've looked at it for several years.

What I've seen: It stands up well to weather but isn't known for receiving primers and paints. This deficite is probably due to low absorbtion of the primers due to a flaky surface. The flakiness my be the killer. Still, it's cheap and available and withstans moisture.

Plese keep me informed if you decide to do further test. Could pay off for individual letters.

Joe